Last updated on September 4th, 2012 at 04:51 pm
Ruiz Food Products Inc. has named Rachel Cullen as president and CEO, effective immediately. Cullen joins the company with more than 25 years of experience with leading food and consumer businesses such as Unilever, Kraft, Orange Glo International and, most recently, Dean Foods Ice Cream.
“The Ruiz Board of Directors and the Ruiz family are delighted to welcome Rachel and believe that her proven management skills, coupled with her extensive experience, makes her the perfect choice for our growth and future,” said Kim Ruiz Beck, chairman of Ruiz Food Products.
Cullen has a B.S. in chemistry from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
“Our unique culture has been instrumental in helping us come a long way since we made our very first burritos and enchiladas in 1964,” said Fred Ruiz, co-founder and chairman emeritus of Ruiz Foods. “I am pleased to be able to say that Rachel recognizes the strength of our culture and embraces our commitment to our community and our team members. She also understands the significance of the leadership role we have built in the industry and will support the continued focus on both our customers and consumers—a focus we work very hard to maintain.”
“I am honored to join such a highly regarded organization with a rich family legacy and a reputation for quality, innovation and excellence,” said Cullen. “It is a very exciting time at Ruiz Foods and I look forward to working with my colleagues as we continue to build on Ruiz’ long-standing leadership role in making great foods for today’s families.”
“As I continue my responsibilities as chairman, I will work closely with Rachel,” added Ruiz Beck. “Together, and with each of our 2,500 Ruiz team members, I am confident we will take advantage of all relevant market opportunities. I look forward to her vision as well as her leadership and dedication as she builds upon and reinforces the foundation of a very dynamic organization with firm commitments to our customers and consumers, our vendors and suppliers, our community and, most certainly, each other.”
Ruiz Foods is dedicated to premium quality, authentically prepared frozen foods selling to all channels of distribution: retail, convenience store, clubs, vending, industrial and foodservice. The El Monterey® brand is the market leader within the frozen Mexican food category and the No. 1 brand of frozen Mexican food in the U.S. The Tornados® brand, introduced eight years ago, is the No. 1 roller food in the U.S. Ruiz Foods is a privately owned corporation with corporate offices in Dinuba, Calif., employing more than 2,500 people in three facilities located in the U.S.
